Loveland advances, Edgewood falls in Division II baseball regional semifinals

XENIA − A pair of Greater Cincinnati baseball teams had radically different results in the Division II regional semifinals at Browne Stadium on the Athletes in Action Campus on Tuesday, June 3.

Loveland, co-champions of the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, used a big second inning to cruise to a 13-2 victory over Teays Valley.

In the nightcap, Edgewood once again notched a late-inning rally, but fell in heartbreaking fashion as Anthony Wayne walked it off in the seventh for a 3-2 win.

Loveland and Anthony Wayne will be back in Xenia Thursday afternoon in the regional championship with a state Final Four spot on the line.

"It's a place we've never been before as a school. It's a great opportunity for us. This is something we've been working at all season," Loveland head coach Ryne Terry said. "We knew heading into the season we had a great opportunity to get to this point, but we gotta play the game. I'm so proud of the way the guys have been approaching all of these tournament games."

Loveland blows out Teays Valley in Division II regional semifinals

Matchups this deep in the tournament are often pitchers' duels that come down to which defense is more consistent.

Loveland didn't get that memo as it hung nine runs on the board in the top of the second inning in a frame that included 13 consecutive batters with two outs.

At the top of the order, CJ Margraf opened the game's scoring with a bases-loaded walk. Brady Stidham followed with a three-run double, then scored on a passed ball to give the Tigers a 5-0 lead.

Three more batters reach to set the table for Dylan Hacker's three-run double, then Blake Hatfield capped the marathon inning with an RBI single.

"When our offense does things like that, we're a really hard team to beat," Terry said. "It was awesome to see. There's no quit in these guys, finding ways to put the ball in play."

Margraf would become the third Tiger to knock in three runs in Tuesday's win with a two-run single in the fourth that made it 11-2. Derek Fleming's sacrifice fly and another run-scoring knock from Hatfield made it a short afternoon as Loveland advanced by run rule.

That run support was more than enough for senior right-hander Henry Bradley, who last appeared on the mound in the district semifinals, tossing 5 ⅓ innings of three-hit ball during an ongoing light drizzle in a win over Harrison.

Bradley showcased great control in twirling five innings, walking none and striking out nine. He allowed four hits and a pair of unearned runs. He retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced to improve to 5-0 on the year.

"The fastball was pretty live today and got a feel for the curveball later on. It's always a good feeling as a pitcher to have those runs behind you," Bradley said. "We knew we could make it to this point. The team chemistry keeps us going through these playoffs."

Loveland (22-7), which beat Northmont last week for its first district championship in 25 years, now is one victory away from its first-ever regional title and state berth.

"I'm so proud of these guys. This is a testament to all the work they've put in this season," Terry said.

Edgewood's Carter Breedlove (34) dives into home plate during their 3-2 loss to Anthony Wayne Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in the regional semifinals.

Edgewood rallies but falls in walk-off fashion to Anthony Wayne

Edgewood had made a habit of stealing victory from the jaws of defeat with momentous rallies throughout the postseason.

In the opening round of the tournament, Edgewood trailed Colerain, 7-0, before scoring eight unanswered runs to win in extra innings. The Cougars were tied 2-2 with Anderson in the second round and went into extras again, scoring three times in the ninth to win it.

In the district final against Troy, Edgewood entered the seventh inning trailing, 4-0, before scoring five times to win its first district championship since 1981.

Tuesday's regional semifinal was setting up in similar fashion. Struggling to get the bats going against Anthony Wayne starter Jackson Urenovitch, the Southwestern Buckeye League's highest-scoring offense recovered once again in the fifth inning.

Trailing 2-0, Robert Eggebrecht reached on an error. He scored one batter later when first baseman Carter Breedlove laced a triple into right-center.

With the infield in, Jean Rivera struck out on a pitch in the dirt. Despite being thrown out at first, Breedlove never broke stride on his way to the plate, sliding across for an uncontested tying run.

Edgewood would get the go-ahead run into scoring position in the sixth, but Roman Smith was left stranded, and the Cougars wouldn't threaten again.

In the bottom of the seventh, Anthony Wayne leadoff hitter Eli Donawa reached with an infield single against Edgewood reliever Carson Downie. An errant pickoff attempt trickled down the right field line, allowing Donawa to go corner to corner. Three batters later, Cole Biedenhard sent Anthony Wayne to Thursday's regional final with a sacrifice fly to center field.

"We had three goals. We wanted to win our conference, which we did. We wanted to win 20 games, which we did. We wanted to win a district championship, which we did," Edgewood first-year head coach Austin Hatfield said. "Obviously, the last goal was a state championship. We didn't get a chance to compete for that. These kids have worked their butts off all winter and fall, and you earn your keep then."

Edgewood was able to hang around against the Generals thanks to a quality outing from left-hander JJ Vogel. The SWBL's Co-Player of the Year, who entered 8-0 with a 1.74 ERA, allowed two unearned runs over four innings and stranded seven runners on the bases.

The sophomore, along with Downie (4-2, 1.23 ERA before taking the loss Tuesday), will be key cogs in Edgewood's revenge tour next spring.

Edgewood's Zach Boyle (15) dives for the ball during their 3-2 loss to Anthony Wayne Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in the regional semifinals.

Senior sendoff

Edgewood's (22-8) seniors included Nick Kelhoffer, Haydon Simonds, Jackson Spears, Rusty Warren, Robert Eggebrecht, Zach Boyle, Carson Meadows, Trent Stewart, Micah Perkins and Cooper Chasteen.

"It's pretty emotional. These guys have faced a ton of adversity," Edgewood first-year head coach Austin Hatfield said. "I'm proud of each and every one of those guys."